


The Wedding Gift

by Sairyn



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Angst, Declarations Of Love, Friendship, M/M, Marvey Fic Challenges, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 12:57:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6240241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sairyn/pseuds/Sairyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey plays his last card to keep Mike from going to jail. He goes to Louis Litt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wedding Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Still reeling from Season 5. This is somewhat a better ending- but not by much.  
> For Marvey Fic Challenge 48- The Handshake Deal. Thank you Aqua for being my beta for this!!!  
> Catch me on tumblr @sairyn-noc

                                                                            

Bang Bang Bang

Louis is startled awake by the sound of incessant banging at his front door. His first thought is to grab his cell phone and run to the bathroom to call 911, but soon enough he hears a familiar voice.

“Open up Louis, I know you are in there.”

With a glance at the clock he resigns to get out of bed after slipping on his cashmere slippers (for his tender feet) and robe (what, it was a matching set).

He looks through the peep hole just to be sure and is surprised to see Harvey Specter staring back at him; or rather how Harvey’s face looks from what little he can see through the small window. Giving in to the fleeting moment of caring he opens the door wide.

“Harvey, what the hell happened to you?”

“Will you just let me in?” Harvey grunts.

“Well, I don’t know” he answers slowly, looking outside to see if whoever caused Harvey to have a black eye and busted lip, followed him here.

“Jeez, Louis, no one is following me. You think if anyone was after me I would bring them here?” He gets a cold stare in return. “Okay, maybe I would, but I promise no one is following me. Now can I please come in? I need a favor.”

Louis stands aside and Harvey quickly walks past him into the living room. “Don’t you think we have done enough **_favors_ ** for you?” Louis spits out. Harvey flinches but doesn’t look away. Louis watches him take a deep breath, like he is trying to prepare himself for what he is about to say next.  

“Louis, I promise this will be the last favor I will ever ask of you.”

“Uh huh, like I would believe you. And what happened to your face?”

“Mike…” Harvey pauses then and Louis can't believe what he just heard.

“Mike? Why the hell…”

“Are you going to do me a favor or not?” Harvey interrupts.

“Fine, let’s hear it, and maybe I will. But let me tell you something, I am getting sick and tired of having to swallow all the bullshit everyone keeps shoveling around here. Do you know what I had to do to get Sheila to leave? And people are scared, Harvey, they are scared and it’s all your fault!”

“I know. I need you to turn me in.”

“I’m sorry… “W-what did you just say?” Louis stutters.

Louis looks at him then. Harvey, his colleague, his adversary,the man whom he, somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind, might even consider a friend. The man he has competed for and against has shown up on his doorstep asking him to do the unthinkable.

“Louis, I need you to do this for me.”

“Absolutely not! I will not be the one that walks into Jessica’s office tomorrow to tell her that I gave up her golden boy. I won't do it! You hear me, I won’t” He spits. “And why the hell are you doing this now anyway?”

Harvey falls silent, seemingly unsure. “It doesn’t matter why; I just need you to do this. Mike is getting married tomorrow and I need for Mike to…”

“Harvey, I am not leaving this alone until you tell me what is so important that you need to throw your life away for Mi…” Louis goes silent causing Harvey to raise his head. Louis sees the haunted look in the other man’s eyes and recognizes that pain. It’s the same pain he felt when Sheila left. “Oh shit! I can’t believe I didn’t see this sooner.” He whispers.

“Can you do this for me, Louis?”

“You’re in love with him aren’t you?” Harvey visibly recoils at the words, his eyes looking everywhere but at the man standing across from him.

“Louis, it doesn’t..”

“Like hell it doesn’t. Why did he hit you?”

“Because I goaded him into it. I told him he was soft, too weak for prison. I wanted to scare him so he would let me call Gibbs, and turn myself in.”

“But he wouldn’t, would he?” Louis answers, another piece of the puzzle sliding into place. Harvey shakes his head. Louis can’t believe he’s going to do this, the answer slipping from between his pursed lips before rational thought could talk him out of it. “I’ll do it.”

Harvey looks up then. “Thank you, Louis.” Harvey extends his hand out to him.

“What, you don’t want a contract or something in writing?” Louis asks.

“I think it would be better if we just make this a handshake deal. By doing this I can give Mike his freedom. He is going to get to have the life he wants.” Harvey says, sitting down.

 _Are you sure about that?_  Louis thinks to himself. “Tell me how you want this to go.” He says, his voice stronger than his resolve.

“I know you have a recording that proves that I knew all along.”Louis starts to rise, ready to deny and to defend himself, but Harvey just waves him back down.

“It’s okay, Louis, I am glad you do. That recording is going to be Mike’s get out of jail free card. Gibbs wants me, she has always wanted me. You are going to serve me up on a goddam silver platter. Mike must never know and I will take care of Jessica,” Harvey states, staring straight at Louis, his eyes clear and strong. “Make the call.”

Within thirty minutes, the new deal is done. Harvey gets up, ready to leave and to spend his last night as a free man. He doesn't look upset, in fact if Louis was a betting man (which he is not), he would swear that Harvey looks lighter. He even has a small smile on his lips. Louis on the other hand feels like shit. He knows his skin has gone pale, not to mention being slightly green while sweating profusely.

“Harvey, I don’t know what to…” no other words make it to the surface as he is overcome with a swell of emotions that clogs up his throat and causes his eyes to shine with unshed tears.

“It’s okay Louis. You don’t have to say anything. Thank you. I mean it.” Harvey says striding towards the front door.

“Oh, and Louis,” he says, pausing at the door but unwilling to turn around. “Stand in for me tomorrow at Mike’s wedding. I am supposed to be his best man, but I don't think I can…I have got somewhere else to be.”

Louis can’t stop the tears from falling. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that it would ever come to this. “Of course.” He answers.

Harvey does turn then and gives him one last stern look. “You’re a good man Louis Litt.” With that, Louis watches as Harvey walks out the door and into the night.

The next morning Louis is early. He arrives at the church, to see Jessica talking to Mike. He is fidgeting and uncomfortable, his mind on Harvey and what he is doing this morning. Mike spots him and both he and Jessica start walking towards him.

“Louis, so glad you came” Mike says. “Have you seen Harvey? I was just asking Jessica and she doesn’t know where he is. Figures Harvey would be late to my wedding, if he shows at all,” he adds quietly.

Louis remembers how Harvey told him that they had had a fight last night. Mike probably thinks Harvey isn’t coming because he is still upset with him. Louis bites the inside of his cheek, letting the pain prepare him for the conversation he has to have. “Mike, can I talk to you privately for a moment,” he asks when he sees Jessica’s eyebrow rise.

“Sure,” Mike answers, walking further into the church aisle.

“Mike,” Louis begins. “Harvey won’t be here.”

“What? That son of a bitch!”

“Mike!” Louis says a little more strongly. “He can’t be here because he is turning himself in.”

“What do you mean he is turning himself in?” Mike asks, his eyes growing wide. Mike pinches his nose with his fingers, his eyes scrunching closed. Louis knows that any moment now Mike is going to start pacing back and forth- a habit he often does when he is nervous.

“I mean…” Louis states, trying his best to keep his voice calm and steady in the face of Mike’s rising anxiety. “...that Harvey found a way to circumvent your deal so that he can be the one going to prison today- not you.”

“But he can’t do that! I took the deal!” The squeak in Mike’s rising voice echoes in the rafters drawing attention to them from the others. “It **can’t** be rescinded without my authorization.” Mike tries again, his voice calmer with only a mild tremor.

“It can if a prosecutor found evidence to prove her case outside of your deal,” Louis answers, swallowing around the nausea that threatens to have him spilling the wheat grass protein shake he had for breakfast.

Mike looks down at him then, his eyes clear. “What did you do, Louis?” Mike’s words are sharp and bitter. Louis gulps quickly.

“What makes you think…” Louis’ defense is interrupted by Mike grabbing his wrist and squeezing it painfully. “God dammit, Louis! What did you do?”

Louis hates this. He knows he promised that he wouldn’t tell Mike the truth, but the way Mike is looking at him with wide eyes and barely controlled anger, Louis knows he can’t keep his promise. He takes a deep breath before he starts to speak. “Mike, he came to me last night after your fight. He made me turn over my own evidence.”

Louis can hear the younger man gasp. “I had a recording of him, of his confession of hiring you knowing you weren’t a lawyer. I goaded him into it, but it is still proof. Proof Anita Gibbs knew I had. I told her I wouldn’t turn it over. I promised myself, Harvey and even Jessica that I would destroy it. And I had planned on doing that, too. I meant it when I said we were family and we would take care of our own. Then you went and took the deal. It was done. At least I thought it was until Harvey came by last night. He was determined, talking about how he couldn’t let you do this. How he had to find a way for you to be free.”

Mike closes his eyes, his body visibly shaking. He reaches out to grab the back of one of the pews steadying himself. Louis gently touches Mike’s arm, trying to get his attention once again.  

“Mike,” Louis continues. “Harvey wanted you to have the life you always wanted. He may not have been able to give you all of your dreams but he was able give you some of them. And that’s all he ever wanted for you. Consider this his wedding gift.”

Louis watches as the man in front of him breaks down piece by piece. The tears that were barely being held in check before begin to fall freely from Mike’s blue eyes.

“Come on, Mike, I will stand right beside you,” he says, his soft voice cutting through Mike’s meltdown. Mike looks at him again, blinking slowly, like he is just realizing where he is.

“Louis,” Mike utters, his voice wrecked. “I just need a moment.”

“Sure,” Louis answers, watching as Mike turns and walks briskly toward the chambers. Then he heads over to where Jessica is standing, a little to the side.

“What the hell is going on? And where is Harvey? And don’t even think of lying to me, because I can always tell,” she whispers.

Louis turns to Jessica. “Harvey won’t be coming,” he states. He watches as Jessica’s composed features morph into something else; something broken.

“What did he do?” She asks, her voice filling with sorrow.

“What he felt he had to.”

Before any other words are spoken, Mike returns from the back, walking quickly like a man on a mission. He catches Louis’ eye and nods before exiting through the double doors.  A moment later Rachel comes running out, her face stained with tears. She runs out of the church doors as well with Donna on her heels. Louis makes it to the door just in time to see the fallout. Harvey is standing in front of the church, leaning against his car.

~~~~~

“Harvey!” Mike’s voice is a mix of fear and relief.

Harvey looks at Mike’s hand. “You were supposed to get married, rookie.”

“You were supposed to let me keep my deal,” Mike answers.

Harvey looks down then, a look of guilt flashes across his features. “I couldn’t do that, Mike,” he says softly. “I couldn’t let you go to jail for something I did.”

Mike smiles. “Idiot. I made you hire me, if it was anyone’s fault, it was mine.”

“Mike, you have to know that I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

“Me too.”

Harvey smiles at him. He then looks past Mike at the small group witnessing this last moment before speaking again. “Now go back in there and have your dreams, you’re a free man.”

Mike watches stunned as Harvey opens the car door and climbs in. A millisecond later he turns to look at Rachel standing there with an expectant look on her face. He loves her. He knows this. But he also knows he isn’t _in love_ with her and doesn’t want to marry her. He walks up to her standing midway on the steps, his eyes never leaving hers. When he is standing in front of her he reaches out and touches her cheek.  She seems to know it before he can say the words; it must be written all over his face.

“Rachel…,” he starts.

She smiles sadly. “Go,” she says. She kisses him briefly on the cheek and walks back through the church doors, much to the shock of all those watching. Mike turns back around in time to see the car still parked. As he slowly descends the steps, he sees Ray get out of the car to open the door for him.

“Thanks, Ray,” Mike says politely.

“Anytime, Mike.”

“Mike, what are you doing here?” Harvey asks scooting over so Mike can sit.

”Choosing. And I am choosing you. I refuse to let you do this alone,” Mike answers before leaning in to touch his lips briefly to Harvey’s.

“Mike, I can’t, you can’t…I mean what about Rachel; your life, your dreams.”

“You are my dream Harvey. I think somewhere deep inside I always knew that it was you. We are going to get through this like we get through everything else- together.” Mike pauses then, suddenly nervous. A million thoughts rush through his head, and he begins to have doubts. He looks up and catches Harvey staring at him with a look that says more than than all the words he can imagine. That's all it takes to calm him; all it takes to make him completely sure.

“I love you Harvey. And I will be waiting for you when you get out.”

“I love you too,” Harvey whispers. Mike tastes Harvey’s lips again and knows that they are the lips he wants to come home to one day- no matter when that may be.

 

 

 


End file.
